Process diary

Ria Hancock

As I explored the life and abilities of the praying mantis, I wanted to capture the complexity of the insect and portray this in my finished work. The praying mantis appears awkward and ungainly, but in reality it is a precise and deadly predator giving no mercy to its unsuspecting prey. Stainless steel and patinated copper armour gives a misleading impression of softness underlying the reality of this precise killer. The praying mantis is a small, insignificant creature – by creating a larger version of this insect I sought to highlight the importance of insects to the survival of the world.